Shiloh boarding school in Nickerie faces financial troubles and closes its doors

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The Shiloh boarding school, located in the Nickerie district, has been forced to close its doors due to ongoing financial difficulties. The school, which provided accommodation for children from nearby villages in the west, such as Apoera, has not been able to house students for the past two months. Marchiano Jong, the captain of Apoera, expressed his regret that the children can no longer be accommodated when they travel from remote areas.
The students now have to find places to stay with family or elsewhere. “The children in our community are suffering because of this. The boarding school is closed due to outstanding payments. ‘Den pitjin no man go logeer moro na a internaat. A presi tapu den pitjien ab fu go na famiri no go logeer,” he explained. Jong noted that the school has been closed for two months.
The district commissioner (DC) had promised to cover the costs of the school, but according to the captain, this hasn’t happened. Jong believes there is sufficient money coming in through the port to cover the costs of the boarding school. He added that while resources are available from the port, the current intake is minimal, which affects activities in the area.
The DC should make an effort to support the children so they can complete their education. “The future is all about modern technology, and if a child hasn’t received an education, they won’t be able to keep up,” Jong emphasized.
DC Josta Lewis clarified that she had indeed been covering the costs of the boarding school as promised. “For four years, I paid the school’s expenses, and each month I paid SRD 15,000. When I started in 2020, there was a group of 15 students. The intention was for parents to contribute as well. What I paid was for rent. I continued paying until August of this year,” Lewis explained.
Parents were supposed to provide a monthly contribution of SRD 1,500 to cover food, but this never happened. The commissioner’s office provided occasional support. “We gave food supplies, but that didn’t solve the issue. The managers had to contribute to their own salaries,” the district commissioner added.
The students from 2020 have since graduated. Over the years, the group became smaller, with some students not attending school. Those who were removed from the school were also removed from the boarding school. At one point, only five students remained, and it was no longer financially feasible to spend SRD 15,000 per month for them. Based on this, the boarding school was closed.
Additionally, the building is in poor condition, and the premises flood during heavy rainfall. There is also a rat infestation, making it unsanitary for the children. Over the past four years, only five students remained. Renovating the building would be too costly, and there are many other expenses in the area, such as maintaining the roadsides, which needs to be done regularly.
Garbage collection has to be done weekly, and there are many other expenses. This year, we’ve noticed a decline as companies in the area are leaving; three companies have already left. We also need to keep ourselves afloat since we no longer have sufficient income. The production of Baitali NV has also decreased, and this year, the company laid off 15 employees, which is why there can no longer be investment in the boarding school.
The Nickerie commissioner’s office provided a cleaner and maintenance support, but the district commissioner herself is dealing with financial challenges. “The DC paid half and the Kabalebo commissioner paid the other half, but the DC has indicated that it’s no longer feasible for her, and I had to take on everything myself,” Lewis added.